1.6M t
2025 (latest)
SO2 EMISSIONS EXCLUDING WILDFIRES
thousand short tons · 1970–2025 · neither direction is "better" · U.S. EPA National Emissions Inventory trends
31.2M t
1970
31.2M t
high · 1970
1.5M t
low · 2024
−95%
since 1970
┊ dashed lines mark 1979 Oil shock & inflation peak · 1987 Black Monday crash · 1991 Gulf War recession · 2001 Dot-com bust & 9/11 · 2008 Global financial crisis · 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
Method & caveats. Pollutant-specific worksheet, Total without wildfires row, annual year columns. EPA's own estimates throughout: 1970–2001 five-yearly then annual NEI/trends values, 2002–2019 EQUATES-modeled, and the years after the latest full NEI (2020 onward) interpolated or projected by EPA; no interpolation performed here. EQUATES-modeled 2002–2019; 2020–2025 are EPA interpolated or projected estimates pending the next full inventory. Breaks: EQUATES-modeled 2002–2019; 2020–2025 are EPA interpolated or projected estimates pending the next full inventory.
Sources
Every value on this page is read from the publisher below. Current and historical source documents:
- https://www.epa.gov/system/files/other-files/2026-09/national_tier1_caps_04sep2026.xlsx
- https://github.com/danielmiessler/substrate/tree/main/Data/US-Energy-And-Environment
Data
| Year | SO2 emissions excluding wildfires | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.6M t | +7% |
| 2024 | 1.5M t | −2% |
| 2023 | 1.5M t | −20% |
| 2022 | 1.9M t | +1% |
| 2021 | 1.9M t | +10% |
| 2020 | 1.7M t | −12% |
| 2019 | 1.9M t | −16% |
| 2018 | 2.3M t | −4% |
| 2017 | 2.4M t | −8% |
| 2016 | 2.6M t | −24% |
| 2015 | 3.4M t | −25% |
| 2014 | 4.6M t | −5% |
| 2013 | 4.8M t | −5% |
| 2012 | 5.1M t | −21% |
| 2011 | 6.4M t | −8% |
| 2010 | 6.9M t | −13% |
| 2009 | 8.0M t | −21% |
| 2008 | 10.1M t | −12% |
| 2007 | 11.5M t | −7% |
| 2006 | 12.4M t | −15% |
| 2005 | 14.5M t | −0% |
| 2004 | 14.6M t | −5% |
| 2003 | 15.3M t | +3% |
| 2002 | 14.8M t | −7% |
| 2001 | 15.9M t | −2% |
| 2000 | 16.3M t | −7% |
| 1999 | 17.5M t | −8% |
| 1998 | 18.9M t | +1% |
| 1997 | 18.8M t | +3% |
| 1996 | 18.4M t | −1% |
| 1995 | 18.6M t | −13% |
| 1994 | 21.3M t | −2% |
| 1993 | 21.8M t | −1% |
| 1992 | 22.1M t | −1% |
| 1991 | 22.4M t | −3% |
| 1990 | 23.1M t | −1% |
| 1985 | 23.3M t | −10% |
| 1980 | 25.9M t | −8% |
| 1975 | 28.0M t | −10% |
| 1970 | 31.2M t | — |
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